How to Get Rid of Those Pesky Weeds in Your Landscaping Rocks

Landscaping rocks offer innumerable benefits for your garden. They’re low cost, sustainable, and add a unique aesthetic appeal. 

I could go on and on, but if you’ve already added garden pebbles to your yard, after some time you might start to notice weeds popping up here and there.

Oh, weeds…those resilient little sprouts always seem to find a way to grow anywhere! 

Luckily, there are ways to get rid of them without dousing your lush garden in toxic pesticides. When your garden pebble path starts showing signs of unsightly stems, here’s what to do…

1. Pull them out

There’s always the old-fashioned method of removing weeds by hand. And, it’s honestly not so bad. 

Spending time outdoors and keeping your hands busy is a great way to get the blood flowing and relieve stress in a serene setting. 

Slather on the sunscreen, don a hat and plug in your favorite music while you get into a rhythm plucking out those weeds. Personally, it’s a satisfying feeling. 

And when you’re complete, you can stand back and admire your spotless garden pebbles with pride.

Pro Tip: Many gardeners recommend sprinkling salt over a freshly weeded area. This will prevent new weeds from growing. Give it a try and tell us what you think!

2. DIY eco-friendly chemicals that kill weeds

You don’t need to buy expensive toxic poison to kill weeds in your pebbles. Instead, there are plenty of low-cost, easy DIY alternatives that won’t hurt the planet.

White vinegar

White vinegar is a simple solution to maintain a pebble area with minimal weeds. 

Start by pruning weedy areas with your electric pruner, which will make the treatment more effective. 

Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray a generous amount over the weeds, carefully avoiding your grass and plants (because the vinegar will kill them, too).

Boiling water

You can simply boil water and pour it over weeds. This will kill them instantly, and your landscaping rocks won’t be affected by the extreme temperatures. 

This can be dangerous if you don’t take the utmost care. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes to protect yourself from burns. Keep children and pets away while you pour the water.

Horticulture vinegar

If your weeds are out of control, you’ll need to look for something stronger than white vinegar, which is only 5% acetic acid. 

You need horticulture vinegar, which has 20% acetic acid and strong enough to tackle thick weed growth. It’s eco-friendly and easy to find at your local garden products store.

3. Protecting your new landscaping rock

If you’re getting ready to lay down new garden pebbles, you can prep the area to prevent weeds from growing. 

You’ll want to install a 3-inch high steel edging border that will prevent roots from being able to reach down through the pebbles.

Next,  lay down a quality landscaping fabric and layer it with cardboard or newspaper. This will prevent the sunlight from reaching the soil because sunlight promotes weed growth.

By staying on top of the area and plucking random weeds, you won’t have a time-consuming, overgrown situation to deal with.

How do you deal with weeds in your garden? Tell us in the comments!